'We unknowingly bought the famous Oasis train station - fans come here for selfies'

A couple unknowingly purchased a piece of Oasis history when they bought an abandoned Victorian train station, which turned out to be the cover of one of the band's most iconic hits. Tim Collis, 58, and his husband Ryan Phelps, 53, acquired the derelict master house and waiting room at Cromford Railway Station in Derbyshire for £390,000.

It was only after seeing the artwork for Oasis' first number one hit 'Some Might Say' inside their new home that they realised its significance. The Grade II-listed station features on the cover of the famous 1995 single, with Liam Gallagher seen waving from the railway bridge while brother Noel waters the platform below.

Since news of the reunion broke, Tim said enquiries for bookings have 'gone supersonic', with fans flocking to take selfies and recreate the cover. Despite being an Oasis fan himself, Tim admitted he was unaware of the building's connection to the band until after the purchase.

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He recalled finding a framed seven-inch 'Some Might Say' cover in the dining room, prompting him and Ryan to research the link. "The guy who was selling it to us never even mentioned it, but he must have known because he had the photo," Tim said.

"We've had a lot of Oasis fans coming over the last couple of years and we've seen a big surge since the reunion was announced too. It's gone berserk. It's gone supersonic, pardon the pun.

"We've even had the artist who took the photo come here. Apparently it was a black and white photo which he coloured to make it more atmospheric."

Tim explained: "Many fans come to recreate the photos. We warn our guests about it just so they don't wonder what's going on, but they are all fine about it. Some want to borrow a wheelbarrow and we're only too happy to help.

"We weren't able to get tickets for the reunion but I should get Liam and Noel back and do a swap and give them the cottage for the night in exchange for tickets.

"They could come and stay and have a rock and roll party - that would be great. Usually it costs £249 to stay for two nights but I think we could accommodate them if they wanted to revisit the scene of one of their biggest singles."

Tim and Ryan purchased the station's master house, with the waiting room included in the sale, back in 2007. The pair embarked on restoring the building, which opened as a holiday cottage in April 2009 after a £140,000 renovation.

The restoration was so impressive that King Charles visited in 2011, meaning the Gallagher brothers were no longer the most famous people to have visited there.

Tim recounted their experience with the property: "When we bought the place it was derelict and in danger of falling down. It was on the 'at risk' register. It was just a completely bare shell.

"There was no glass in the windows, the roof had holes in it, there was nothing inside, just an empty shell. The whole renovation took about a year and cost around £140,000 and we got a £30,000 grant from the local authority and a charity to renovate some of the old features, like the clock tower, to their original spec.

"Our demographic tends to be train spotters, walkers, cyclists - as its one bedroom it's usually older or younger couples. In 2011 we won a National Railway Heritage conservation award and after that Prince Charles came to visit as he's big into his conservation. I thought it was one of my mates pulling my leg when his people called up saying Prince Charles wanted to visit."

Graphic designer and art director Brian Cannon was behind the cover creation for the famous Oasis single with photographer Michael Spencer Jones. The cover shot was taken on January 23, 1995.

Brian told the BBC: "It's such a bonkers scene. It's my favourite of all the sleeves I did for Oasis. I love the record too and it was their first number one."

The significance of the location nods to the "standing at the station" lyrics from the track, with every individual in the photograph representing a different part of the song's lyrics.

Brian elaborated on the concept: "The idea was if you're standing at a disused station waiting for a train, you're in need of education, which is the next line of the song."

Liam's salute on the bridge is a nod to the lyric "we will find a brighter day", while Noel's watering can symbolises "in the rain". Karla Knox, who works at Brian's local pub, is depicted on the tracks with an umbrella adorned with pots and pans, a reference to "she's got dirty dishes on the brain".

The west side of the station continues to serve rail passengers travelling to Matlock and Derby today, while the east side is utilised by guests staying at Tim and Ryan's holiday cottage.